Steve Novick Wants to Make Portland Arts Tax a Piggyback Tax

City Commissioner Steve Novick has one in mind: He wants to change the very structure of the tax.

Novick described the arts tax as "beyond regressive" when it was a ballot measure in November, because it charges every person above federal poverty levels the same $35, regardless of income. But he mentioned in Wednesday's discussion that he would support the arts tax if the city changed the model to a flat progressive tax.

"Since the voters approved the last one," Novick tells WW, "I would just send it [back] out to the voters."

Novick is pushing to make the art tax a tax of 1.5 percent of each person's Oregon progressive personal income tax liability.

"It would be tied to the Oregon income tax," Novick says, "which is somewhat progressive."

In other words, if a taxpayer with an annual taxable income of $130,000 owes READ FULL ARTICLE